France welcomes ratification of Paris Agreement by Turkey

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - France on Thursday welcomed the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement by Turkey.

“The unanimous vote in the Turkish Parliament is a positive signal ahead of the COP26 --the UN Climate Change Conference – which will be held in Glasgow from Oct. 31 to Nov.12,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry expressed hope that Turkey would immediately submit a new national climate action plan, officially known as Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), essential to the full implementation of the agreement.

“France and the EU are continuing the dialogue with Turkey on climate and the environment in order to strengthen our joint action on these crucial issues”, the statement said.

On Wednesday, Turkey’s parliament ratified the Paris Climate Agreement to contribute to the global efforts against climate change.

On Dec. 12, 2015, parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change reached an agreement to fight climate change and achieve a sustainable low-carbon future at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.

The Paris Agreement, defined as "a bridge between today's policies and climate-neutrality before the end of the 21st century," seeks to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by stopping global average temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the next century, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible.